From 1 January 2015 farmers in Northern Ireland will not be allowed to plough or convert permanent grassland in areas designated as environmentally sensitive under the Habitats Directive and/or the Birds Directive.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has classified land as part of implementing greening which is part of CAP Reform in NI. Permanent grassland in fields covered by the Habitats Directive and/or the Birds Directive, including in peat and wetlands situated in these areas have been classified as Permanent Grassland Sensitive (PGS). Fields will be classified as PGS if 10% or more of the field area or an area greater than 0.1 hectares lies within the designated area.
In fields which are classified as PGS, the ploughing and conversion ban will apply to the part of the field designated as environmentally sensitive under the Habitats Directive and/or the Birds Directive.
ADVERTISEMENT
DARD has issued letters to those farmers whose records indicate that their field or fields are classified as PGS. DARD will be undertaking checks to ensure compliance with these rules and failure to comply with the restrictions may result in a reduction to Greening Payments.
Any permanent grassland field that has been identified as having less than 10% of the field area and not more than 0.1 hectares inside the designated area will not be classified as PGS and will not be subject to the ploughing and conversion ban. However, the protection afforded to these areas under the Habitats Directive and/or the Birds Directive will still apply.
To find out what land has been classified as PGS, farmers are asked to contact their local DARD Direct Office.
Register for free to read this story and our free stories.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to the site until next Wednesday at 9pm.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact support.
From 1 January 2015 farmers in Northern Ireland will not be allowed to plough or convert permanent grassland in areas designated as environmentally sensitive under the Habitats Directive and/or the Birds Directive.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has classified land as part of implementing greening which is part of CAP Reform in NI. Permanent grassland in fields covered by the Habitats Directive and/or the Birds Directive, including in peat and wetlands situated in these areas have been classified as Permanent Grassland Sensitive (PGS). Fields will be classified as PGS if 10% or more of the field area or an area greater than 0.1 hectares lies within the designated area.
In fields which are classified as PGS, the ploughing and conversion ban will apply to the part of the field designated as environmentally sensitive under the Habitats Directive and/or the Birds Directive.
DARD has issued letters to those farmers whose records indicate that their field or fields are classified as PGS. DARD will be undertaking checks to ensure compliance with these rules and failure to comply with the restrictions may result in a reduction to Greening Payments.
Any permanent grassland field that has been identified as having less than 10% of the field area and not more than 0.1 hectares inside the designated area will not be classified as PGS and will not be subject to the ploughing and conversion ban. However, the protection afforded to these areas under the Habitats Directive and/or the Birds Directive will still apply.
To find out what land has been classified as PGS, farmers are asked to contact their local DARD Direct Office.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525.
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address. Please click on the link in this email to reset your password. If you can't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you can't find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
ENTER YOUR LOYALTY CODE:
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
SHARING OPTIONS